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Residents press council on recurring flooding as town launches 'Adopt a Drain' program
Summary
Residents described recurring flash flooding and a clogged culvert while the council's stormwater task force announced an "Adopt a Drain" volunteer program and noted DPW camera work found an unmapped manhole; residents requested hydraulic capacity analysis and clearer action-line follow-up.
During public comment, several residents urged faster, more technical responses to recurring flooding in areas served by the Maple Street catch basin and nearby culverts.
Robert Witchaw, a resident of Crest Road, told the council his field observations identified multiple inlet pipes feeding a single 12-inch outlet at a Maple Street catch basin and reported one culvert valve under the railroad was closed. "There's five pipes going into that one basin... there's one 12-in pipe lets the water out," Witchaw said, arguing the configuration likely lacks sufficient short-term hydraulic capacity for flash floods.
Witchaw asked whether the borough had performed a hydraulic-capacity analysis, whether the culvert valve's open/closed history is documented, and what the standard operating procedure is for that valve. Council members and staff said DPW had run camera inspections, located an unmapped manhole and would dig out and clear debris; they also referenced an existing action-line system for resident requests and said staff would follow up on the specific technical questions.
Separately, the stormwater task force report recommended a community-based "Adopt a Drain" program to supplement municipal maintenance by empowering volunteers to clear surface-level debris from storm drains, report conditions online and track participation. The task force said the program aims to reduce localized flooding, improve system performance and decrease pollutants entering local waterways.
Council members and residents discussed communication gaps around follow-up: resident groups said some prior RiseMP inquiries had not received formal responses, and multiple volunteers offered to help with action-line coordination and outreach. Officials agreed to continue DPW cleanup work, pursue federal and other funding for larger stormwater projects, and provide more timely updates to residents through existing action-line channels.
The council did not adopt a technical study at this meeting but recorded the public concerns and the task force's program recommendation for next steps.
